US to release some suspected terrorists from Cuba

PM - Wednesday, 23 October , 2002 00:00:00

Reporter: Michael Vincent

MARK COLVIN: The United States Government is preparing to release a small number of the prisoners it's been holding as Al Qaeda or Taliban suspects at a camp on Cuba.

The US Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, today announced that his officials were vetting a small number of prisoners to make sure they're not candidates for prosecution or a threat to the United States, before they're set free.

But, as Michael Vincent reports, even though only a few are to be released, it's raised the hopes of the families and lawyers of the two Australians being held at Guantanamo Bay.

MICHAEL VINCENT: The wife of Australian detainee, Mamdouh Habib, hasn't seen her husband since the middle of last year.

MAHA HABIB: Now he's been away from home for one year and three months. So it's been quite a long time.

MICHAEL VINCENT: Even though she's not received any notice from the US or Australian Governments, Ms Habib is now hopeful her husband will be released within weeks, and she's got special reason to want him home soon.

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts early in November.

MAHA HABIB: Ramadan is like a Christmas to us and it's going to start on 6th of November, so we've got a big hope that he will, you know, get up. It will be a big blessing if he does.

MICHAEL VICENT: Meanwhile, the US is holding 598 men, from 42 countries. They are labelled as enemy combatants and the US has said it may legally hold them until the end of hostilities, whenever that may be.

But today US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told a press conference that some of the prisoners are now, quote "likely to come out the other end of the chute."

DONALD RUMSFELD: For the most part, they've all been interrogated or are being interrogated, and the purpose being not law enforcement but intelligence gathering.

If at a certain moment that process proceeds, and someone concludes that they're very likely not to be of any additional intelligence value, then they're stuck in a different basket.

MICHAEL VINCENT: Donald Rumsfeld didn't release the identity or nationality of any of those who may be free. There are reports only Pakistanis will be released in this first wave, and the US Defence Secretary says they are only releasing people initially into the hands of their own Governments.

DONALD RUMSFELD: We certainly either would hand them to a Government's control, or we would have talked to the Government and the Government have advised us that they did not need to have control, in which case they would be free.

MICHAEL VINCENT: The main US fear is that anyone released may be tracked down by Al Qaeda, but the organisation could try to get information out of those freed, about American interrogation methods, security procedures, details of other detainees, or any other security weaknesses at Guantanamo.

Lawyer for Mamdouh Habib Steven Hopper.

STEVEN HOPPER: Well that seems fairly sensible, and I don't think Mamdouh Habib would have any arguments with that. I certainly don't think he'd want to talk to anyone from Al Qaeda or anyone who was remotely connected with it, after his experiences.

MICHAEL VINCENT: In the meantime, Mr Hopper says colleagues in the US will continue with their preparation of an appeal, before the full bench of the Federal Court for Mr Habib's release.

Hearings could start in early November.

Meanwhile, there are concerns for the mental well being of the other Australian held at Camp X-Ray, David Hicks, who's been detained for 11 months.

His lawyer, Stephen Kenny, says Mr Hicks's family are hopeful he'll also be released soon, but they're worried they havenít heard from him in five months.

STEPHEN KENNY: The last letter they had in, that was dated May, in it David expressed some concerns about his situation there and they now want to know how he is.

MICHAEL VINCENT: Have you had any contact with the Australian Government?

STEPHEN KENNY: We've had no contact from the Australian Government about this matter since May, when he was interrogated for four days. We have, again, written to the Australian Government asking that the normal diplomatic access be provided to David so that the diplomats can go and check out his conditions and report to the family about how he's going, and let David know that his family are aware of what is happening to him, and reassure him that they are doing everything that they can.

MARK COLVIN: The lawyer for David Hicks, Stephen Kenny.

A spokeswoman for the Attorney-General's office told PM this afternoon that the Department attempted to contact Mr Kenny and the Hicks family earlier this months, but hasn't had a response.